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      05-13-2008, 12:42 PM   #1
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What's the Downside to Replicas???

Hello All,

I've got a new 328i (lease) ariving in a few weeks and after reading all the posts about the RFTs on this site, I'm committed to storing the stock tire and wheels until the end of my lease and buing a new set of tires and rims to drive on.

I love the look of the M6 or E92 M3 wheels. I see a lot of replica wheels for sale... what is the difference between the Stock and Replica wheels other than price and weight?

Is there any downside to using Replica wheels?

I'm a newb - so sorry if this question has already been discussed. I tired the search but got almost entirely posts of replica's for sale...
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      05-13-2008, 01:51 PM   #2
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its usually the quality that differs.
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      05-13-2008, 01:53 PM   #3
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weight, some are bad quality, but something like VMR or Miro are good
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      05-13-2008, 01:54 PM   #4
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If the replicas have JWL, VIA and possibly ISO certificates they should be as good as the OE wheels you're storing.
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      05-13-2008, 02:19 PM   #5
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      05-13-2008, 02:20 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve335i View Post
If the replicas have JWL, VIA and possibly ISO certificates they should be as good as the OE wheels you're storing.
Or there'll at least be a small enough difference that it's not worth sweating over. My 19" VMRs are lighter than my OE 18" sport 189s. The construction is different (flow versus low pressure cast I believe), but both would be just as susceptable to damage from a good sized pothole (all things being equal of course).

Save your money, unless you've got the cake to get some forged wheels. Then, there really isn't a discussion worth having.
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      05-13-2008, 04:54 PM   #7
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When choosing replicas, you definitely want to stick with a brand that is proven and undergoes quality control inspection. All Velocity Motoring, Exclusive Alloy, Miro and Moven/Monet brand replicas we carry are JWL and VIA certified to ensure that they meet stock wheel specifications in terms of strength and construction. Definitely research the brand and reputation of the wheel before committing to a set.
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      05-13-2008, 07:49 PM   #8
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Thank All, this has been very helpful!

One follow-up question... several of you guy have mentioned "quality" what does that mean in terms of wheels? Sorry for the ignorant question... I'm just not very well versed in wheels. Does it mean the wheel is more likely to dent or deform if it hits a pothole?
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      05-13-2008, 08:11 PM   #9
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if i can bend a BBS wheel, i can bend any wheel lol
Just as long as they are JWL VIA certified, it'd be good
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      05-13-2008, 08:12 PM   #10
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My replicas are.. Soft, would be a good word.
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      05-13-2008, 08:29 PM   #11
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did you bend your miro?
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      05-13-2008, 08:38 PM   #12
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i have beyerns and i already bent a rim. The only good that came out of it was the front wheel lip bent upwards and cracked so you could see through it. However it didnt break the seal and my tire didnt deflate. What surprised me was that the wheel didnt cause any wobbling or anything the ride. Ive changed the wheel since then.
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      05-14-2008, 02:49 AM   #13
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Not trying to start a firestorm debate, but I've always wondered about the difference between the concept of "replicas" and "counterfeits." My friend has a Z4 with "replica" M6 wheels, but they have the ///M logo on them. To me, that seems like a "counterfeit" and not a "replica."

It's funny, some of the other non-car circles I run in can't stand the idea of "replica" or "counterfeit" products. They don't like the idea of someone knocking off the originator's designs, usually just to offer a cheap "Made in China" alternative to line their pockets.

But here, "replicas" seem to be an accepted and expected outcome. Just interesting how differing groups feel about the subject....
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      05-14-2008, 02:55 AM   #14
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with bmw replicas, there is little to worry about. unlike other makes such as honda, which has way more replicas out on the market that use poor quality material and inspection process..

You should have no problem buying from any of the sponsors here on the forums for replica wheels!
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      05-14-2008, 03:11 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scollins View Post
Not trying to start a firestorm debate, but I've always wondered about the difference between the concept of "replicas" and "counterfeits." My friend has a Z4 with "replica" M6 wheels, but they have the ///M logo on them. To me, that seems like a "counterfeit" and not a "replica."

It's funny, some of the other non-car circles I run in can't stand the idea of "replica" or "counterfeit" products. They don't like the idea of someone knocking off the originator's designs, usually just to offer a cheap "Made in China" alternative to line their pockets.

But here, "replicas" seem to be an accepted and expected outcome. Just interesting how differing groups feel about the subject....
I noticed the same. I just sold my RSX-S, left the honda forums and now here.

Back over there, ROTAS are HATED simply because they make a replica of too many to list companies. What I dont get is, the authentics dont cost much more, e.g. replica = 850 and authentics say = 2000. IMO they only have 1 good rim (slipstreams - lightweight good for track)...

The thing is with these BMW "replicas", its more like, many want the look of the m6 wheels / m3 wheels / CSL wheels
but unfortunately, they DONT come in the offset for our vehicle. I bet if those wheel styles from OEM came in other
offsets, people WOULD pay $$ to get them but unfortunately that they dont.

On the otherhand, majority of the companies that "replicate" ONLY these bmw styles (the ones our Vendors carry) in the offsets we BMW owners want (such as CSL reps for e36 / e46 / e92) so we can get the look we want in the right offset/size..

Lets compare something here... Rotas crack/bend on lightweight japanese cars..I think that shows the lack of quality there. The BMW replicas people use on the forum here are much better IMO because its less common that they crack/bend carrying us heavyweight bimmers. I would wondering how if we had 10 guys running Rotas on these heavy bimmers, how many would crack.

Dont doubt the replicas these vendors sell on the forums or any vendor sells on BIMMER forums.
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      05-14-2008, 01:55 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jho86 View Post
I noticed the same. I just sold my RSX-S, left the honda forums and now here.

Back over there, ROTAS are HATED simply because they make a replica of too many to list companies. What I dont get is, the authentics dont cost much more, e.g. replica = 850 and authentics say = 2000. IMO they only have 1 good rim (slipstreams - lightweight good for track)...

The thing is with these BMW "replicas", its more like, many want the look of the m6 wheels / m3 wheels / CSL wheels
but unfortunately, they DONT come in the offset for our vehicle. I bet if those wheel styles from OEM came in other
offsets, people WOULD pay $$ to get them but unfortunately that they dont.

On the otherhand, majority of the companies that "replicate" ONLY these bmw styles (the ones our Vendors carry) in the offsets we BMW owners want (such as CSL reps for e36 / e46 / e92) so we can get the look we want in the right offset/size..

Lets compare something here... Rotas crack/bend on lightweight japanese cars..I think that shows the lack of quality there. The BMW replicas people use on the forum here are much better IMO because its less common that they crack/bend carrying us heavyweight bimmers. I would wondering how if we had 10 guys running Rotas on these heavy bimmers, how many would crack.

Dont doubt the replicas these vendors sell on the forums or any vendor sells on BIMMER forums.
Jho86 you said it right on the mark. The replica's that are offered are done so that they can have proper fitments for vehicles like the e90's, example the M6 wheel is designed obviously for an M6 a much larger car with low offsets - hence its been remade (replicated) so there would be the right fitment for E90/E92's.

As to the Rota example, thats what we as vendors evaluate. Besides looking at certification documents like JWL, VIA and quality control. Companies like us - evaluate the business to which we conduct work with. From what casting methods are used, where is production being done, company stability (so many companies show up and fade - they need to be able to have that customer service and support or even be able to offer replacement wheels if something goes wrong), reputation, etc. So on our end as a vendor we have to spend time evaluating the product. Brands that we carry like Miro, Velocity , adhere to those requirements that we can support and stand behind to let our customers know that they are quality wheels.

Besides that I think its a great thing to be able to provide the community wheels at a far more affordable price as well.
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      05-14-2008, 05:27 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scollins View Post
Not trying to start a firestorm debate, but I've always wondered about the difference between the concept of "replicas" and "counterfeits." My friend has a Z4 with "replica" M6 wheels, but they have the ///M logo on them. To me, that seems like a "counterfeit" and not a "replica."

It's funny, some of the other non-car circles I run in can't stand the idea of "replica" or "counterfeit" products. They don't like the idea of someone knocking off the originator's designs, usually just to offer a cheap "Made in China" alternative to line their pockets.

But here, "replicas" seem to be an accepted and expected outcome. Just interesting how differing groups feel about the subject....
To me it's not a big difference. I'm going to call my CSL replicas, CSL counterfeits from now on. CSL cons!
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      05-14-2008, 07:05 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chowbow View Post
To me it's not a big difference. I'm going to call my CSL replicas, CSL counterfeits from now on. CSL cons!



Nice, even the sig line.

I guess another difference would be someone with "replicas" trying to pass them off as OEMs. In that case, the person would be a piece of shit, and trying to sell "counterfeits" as the real deal.

I don't have too much trouble with "replicas", but for some reason "counterfeits" just don't sit well with me. So in the case of my friend, I don't mind the M6 reps, but I object to them having the ///M logo on them. That is a trademark item, and it seperates them from "replicas" into "counterfeits" in my opinion. Semantics? Yeah probably. But is it really any different that some chump putting ///M3 on the back of his BMW when it really isn't an ///M3?
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      05-14-2008, 07:15 PM   #19
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I bought my reps because I thought they were an awesome looking wheel. It didn't matter to me if they were real or reps or if they had the M logo or not. Most of the people who are gonna hate on somebody for having "fake" wheels couldn't prolly afford a fucking Kia much less a 335 or M3.
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      05-14-2008, 07:33 PM   #20
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I wonder...

Would people call NEEZ QD7 counterfeits or cheap replicas of OEM CSL?!?!?
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      05-14-2008, 07:53 PM   #21
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I think a lot of time you guys put too much value on the JLW and VIA certification for these replica wheels. Similar to ISO, ANSI and other quality standards, for the most part all they do is specify a minimum standard to obtain.

From my experience, a quality manufacturer like BBS, Ronal, or Ray Engineering will normally use JLW and VIA as a guildeline but set a higher internal standard for acceptance. A replica wheel mfg can meet the minimum (barely) and use the JWL and VIA certification as a marketing tool! Just because a wheel passes a quality process does not mean that they are all the same.
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      05-15-2008, 02:06 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scollins View Post
Not trying to start a firestorm debate, but I've always wondered about the difference between the concept of "replicas" and "counterfeits." My friend has a Z4 with "replica" M6 wheels, but they have the ///M logo on them. To me, that seems like a "counterfeit" and not a "replica."
Replica = looks similar to original design (e.g. Miro Type MO-2, VMR VB3, or Morr VS7 has the BMW CSL "look", but upon closer inspection, BMW enthusiasts know that it isn't the "real" thing. The replica wheel manufacturers also make it a point to inform buyers that their wheels are replicas http://www.velocitymotoring.com/links/wheels_vb3.htm )

Counterfeit ("fake") = intentionally passing off a copy of the original design as the "real" thing. There is a great example on this site (Eisenhaus) that comes to mind.
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